


Asphodels

by thefallenalice



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Multi, eventual angst i hope so, grim reaper!kita, it's a story abt reapers so there will be deaths
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:15:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23658217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefallenalice/pseuds/thefallenalice
Summary: Shinsuke was tasked with Kuroo Tetsurou, his first case, who has 49 days more to live.Kuroo mistaken Kita as his guardian angel.Morisuke is just trying to find a place he belongs.
Relationships: Kita Shinsuke & Miya Atsumu & Miya Osamu
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> u know, avoiding studying for tests and instead write for my favourite person of all times, kita 'deserve-of-all-love' shinsuke and my #1 pairing. i'm not a writter though i am sorry i will go over everything after im done with my test haha

There is a place in between Hell and Heaven, where the air is still and the building structure stood alone. The building, wasn’t quite a house. There was no roofs. But the skies has nothing either, and for that so, the lightness of this remote place was not quite radiant, yet not quite dim. It is a place with somewhere in between. Asphodels are scattered as far as the eyes can go, neverending and muted, with no openings of a road - the inhabitants here does not travel by foot. Like a black and white film, this is a place of tranquility.

Inside one of the rooms, - a pair of eyes fluttered open.

He was laying down on his back in a mattress, concealed in nothing but the blanket draped just around his waist. He has no memories prior to waking. 

It took him awhile before he sat up, mind wandering to questions, his eyes wandering around the room. The room is stark of furniture, with exceptions to the bed he is on and a empty gray cupboard to the far left. Nothing there indicates that it is indeed his room. He wondered if this is his room at all. 

He heard a click. When he turned his head to the sound, a door came to sight.

With hesitant steps, he sauntered forward through the hallways. He felt nothing despite waking up to somewhere he could not recall being to. He pondered, yet he wasn’t curious. He is not nervous. Maybe it was the stillness of here, and he is just that - serene.

“Woken up?”, a voice echoed.

And there, an identity of pale skin and sharp brown eyes stared at him. Taking in the form of a grown woman, she has long black hair that sweeps the ground and sat slantedly with her arm on the headrest of an ashy sofa. White tulips and black roses grew around her, however it is no less an accessory, and there is no nectar smell, as if the flowers are dead yet not wilted. She gave a knowing smile, her eyes intense. She waited, but seeing the newcomer has no signs to answer - like a newborn without words, she lifted her hand and settled her chin on it. “Not much of a talker are you? Very well. Have a seat.” An ottoman materialised right next to the newcomer. He gave it a slight glance, and sat.

“It took you quite the years to wake up. You must have questions.” and that he do. “Your name is Shinsuke, and neither are you a human, nor the angels and demons - however, you are an in between. You, Shinsuke, is the Reaper of the Souls.”


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinsuke learns how to of a Reaper with the help of his two friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah i really was on to making it longer than this, but i want to update weekly, so i'm very sorry with what i only have to offer for now...school pls let me write more soon!!!  
> there are references from a certain anime, especially the names of places! hehe  
> next chapter will be kuroyakuuuuu \\(6v6)/

Even with the knowledge of who he is supposed to be, there wasn’t much Shinsuke can do right after. A newborn must learn to take baby steps, The Lady had said. Shinsuke does not even know what to begin with for his entitlement, so he didn’t mutter anything about it, seeing as The Lady itself is leisurely taking her time to administer him with any soul reaping. She had tasked him with mundane duties instead - sweeping dusts in the headroom, watering and tending to the asphodels in vicinity, although he had noticed that the flowers has no signs of life. He had plucked one before out of curiosity, but when he blinked, the ground regrowth with the familiar asphodel, and he learnt that beauty is better to be left alone. It would be a delight for his room though. Whenever he retreat to the room he woke up to (The Lady had given him the space to occupy to his own liking), it felt dull, and he wanted to _give meaning_ to it. On days where The Lady is nowhere to be found, this is the place he stays in most, after all.

The Lady mentioned that this place is called Seele, situated somewhere in between, and by no means is there a way to reach here by foot, giving it a sense of seclusion. They do receive guests sometime, which is how he learned that there are more Grim Reapers than him and The Lady, and occasionally they would stop by here - clad in their crisp black neckties and maroon suits, setting down their hooded cloaks down by the coat stand at the door left, - after their reapings for some tea, or simply meet The Lady for chitchats. At times the Reapers come in pair, or alone - soul reaping is an individual assignment to each, but Shinsuke is quite sure that there are a few he has heard the name of, but never the faces, such as Kosaku or Riseki.

One of them, Suna, has complained of the workload to do.

“These humans keep on dying, man…Can’t they get bitten and become immortal or something?”, he claims into his tea, ranting about the miles he had went through, and the humans he has to take. “It doesn’t get easier though, this one old man kept on denying and shoving me when I had to hand him over to the Gates, saying it’s unfair and ‘he hasn’t say goodbye to his wife yet’, as if he would live through his old age if that car accident didn’t happen! And his wife has been dead _twelve years ago_ , I was there when Ginjima signed the wife’s soul release to Hell! And don’t get me started with all this nonsensical procedures the Big Ol’ Man make us to do just for getting these souls out of my hand and off my nerves! I almost lost my grip on that old man, and then he’ll be what, a wandering ghost? He can’t even suck himself back into his decaying corpse so what’s the use, really!” Suna scowled in frustration, almost fatiguely. The Lady doesn’t seem fazed, nodding nonchalantly. Suna paying a visit means there is time to be wasted, or the souls less frequent. His complains are a consistency, however if there’s anything more consistent than, it is his endurance to complete every task in waiting list, which is why The Lady never offers a serious response. These visits are sporadic, and before Shinsuke had realised it, it has become one of the things he looks forward to, and the closest he has of the outside world, humans particularly.

Listening to the other Reapers’ stories made Shinsuke wonder why he never received any job yet, eventhough they made it sound there are so many deaths to be attended, and judging with the few reoccurring visits of Reapers at Seele, there might be fewer hands than he expected. He thought there was one Grim Reapers for each human, and he thought this aloud during one of their teas, to which Aran and Akagi laughed, and The Lady gave a small smile.

“That would have been great help”, said Aran, giving it a serious thought like it’s an idea to be proposed to the higher ups, “I wouldn’t mind that really. I know Suna doesn’t like the procedural process, and Oomimi with the Gates’ guard, but if everyone had their own then I could make a trip to Rome. Been wanting to go there, a vacation would be nice.”

Akagi hums in agreement. “I think it’s a good idea, Miss. We won’t need to make errands to the Gates’ _every single hour,_ and you won’t have to hear Suna’s complains every week. It’s win-win!” He picks up the cheese sticks Aran brought over from one of his task run, examine it curiously, took a bite and beamed with joy - immediately deciding it is his favourite thing at that moment.

“It’s alright by me, but you know how the Big Ol’ Man is.” Shinsuke has been informed that Big Ol’ Man is the one watching over the worldly order, and quote unquote, the full-of-ideas creator with impulsive tendency, “we never get Reapers as it is, and Shinsuke here just opened his eyes a few days ago. With humans multiplying rapidly like this since Adam, you would have thought he would give us more teammates, but _no._ Instead he’s up there having snacks and cooing over his pet. I don’t think he has any idea of us hardships.”, The Lady sighed. From her forlorn look you could really tell she has been dreading over that fact. Maybe it’s the complaining she receives from her subordinates gives her the tick.

Akagi lit up. He gave Shinsuke a dawning look. “Opened his eyes a few days ago? Not even a week yet? Whoa, he’s literally a _baby_ huh. No wonder he speaks so little, and here I thought he couldn’t relate to us because he’s having a blast over reaping souls.” His attention to Shinsuke wasn’t for long and quick to change to the cheese sticks that he pick one and bite, crumbs sticking to the corner of his lips.

“Yeah. Shinsuke haven’t even been out and about yet. Not sure why, though.”

Aran eyes the messy crumbs falling from Akagi’s bites, and giggled. “If there’s any baby here, it’s you,” then, to Shinsuke, “soul reaping would have seem fun than staying locked up here though. Say, how does tailing me for my next task sounds to you?” He asked with a polite smile and waits for an answer.

To this idea, Shinsuke expectantly look at The Lady. Of course he would want to! Routines like sweeping or tending to dead flowers is good, and until now he has been built up of doing these small things, but once and then he would thought of somewhere outside the borders of asphodels and stillness. He never even met any human, an existence that’s supposedly form him the purpose to be here. Whenever there are stories the others tell, badmouthing about the Gatekeepers or the God above, or dissatisfaction to their clients, Shinsuke listened with intriguing interest and none to reply.

The Lady shrugged, and simply utter a “Why not.”

He turned to Akagi and Aran, evidently expectant.

Having the ability to transport with a wave of The Lady’s hand, he followed the two to Aran’s next case location. Akagi held Shinsuke’s hand for ‘precaution’, his words. Aran clearly finds this idea a silly thing, because Akagi is shorter and undoubtly smaller than Shinsuke, having that luck with God’s blessing to have plump cheeks matched with round eyes, giving him a babyish face. If Shinsuke doesn’t know Akagi as the earliest born Reapers after Oomimi, and 6040 years younger than The Lady who existed since the beginning of time, he would think that a child has wandered to Seele. Akagi refute back that he is just a few meters short than Shinsuke, which was true, but Aran is a giant next to them, so his words fell on deaf ears. Strangely enough, Shinsuke feel a sense of wardship towards his two newly made colleagues, in the same way they both dote on him along the journey. Death has no rush to them, so they shared light exchange with him, like the mart they passed by have crimson teas made out of roses that changes colour to pink with water and apparently it’s not commonly sold around the Earth. Aran thought that this was blood, the only other red liquid he has seen in his existence, and began to fear humans that drink out of their own kinds - when one of the souls cackled during his concierge. “That’s roses, idiot. It’s sweet. Human blood tastes metallic.” He wasn’t going to ask how this human soul knew what blood tastes like, and is slightly relieved that blood is not a beverage sold in the average mart everyone have access to.

“I had a case where her death was caused because they sell organs, and then reap it out from this girl like how we reap adamant souls out. Snagged and wrenched. She wasn’t in good shape to guide to the Gates, so that’s a struggle.” Akagi sounds uninterested, like this is a very casual happening. “People dies all the time with infinite causes, is the moral of the story. That wasn’t even the worst I had been tasked to.”

“Is death painful?,” Shinsuke questioned.

“If they resist it so much, then yeah, I sure guess so. But I think it’s just because they’re scared to leave. They won’t know what’s it like to be dead, - they know how to live but not _dying._ When your tug becomes a hold, and they looked you straight in the eyes, that’s when they know their fight was futile. If you’re lucky, they would follow you to the Gates like a faithful pet. If not, then prayers to you, you have to chase it by any means, or else you will have this Gatekeepers hot at your heels for disrupting the boarding schedule, at best. If this person check-in to Heaven, be ready to sacrifice your hearing to the resident angel lecturing, at worst. Especially Oikawa. I _swear_ he’s created with three chattering mouths inside that one big mouth of his and a disability to shut up. Demons are pretty chill. Sawamura scares me though.”

“Sawamura does? I’m more scared by Sugawara.” Aran said this with a shiver, the idea of Sugawara smirking with half-lidded eyes that suggests both sex and murder makes him gulp.

“Really? I think Sugawara pretty, but it is unconventional when both Sawamura and Sugawara occupies the same space,” Akagi turned to look up at Shinsuke and give a dead expression. “Demons are filthily sex-driven, Shinsuke.”

Akagi doesn’t elaborate, so Shinsuke nods silently. Their attention is on the road ahead.

“I think we’re close now. Here should be the place.” There is a sign that reads ‘Johzenji High’. It was dark, with no other presence than the light from the guardroom and a middle-aged guard dozing off. “She should be by the pool.” Aran snapped his finger, and they are immediately transported to, no guardroom can be seen nearby. The water was reflecting the moonlight, and a lone shadow stood at the edge of the pool platform. Her feet are securely tied to a heavy boulder, one that she is trying to push into the water, and Shinsuke watched from how the still water becomes a tide, boulder sinking into the darkness of the pool. Aran walked and stood over the pool platform where the teenager has been, his right arm hanging in the air - fingers wide, then in a gust of the wind, he swiftly close his palm - the movement of the pool gradually changes the tide to ripples, gasping, unsurfaced and then peaceful.

It was dark, and only the moonlight stayed.

Aran’s hushed voice breaks the silent. “Misaki Hanna, you may wake up. Your ride will be arriving, and I am Aran - your guide to Fa.” His enclosed palms lit up, and when he was sure the soul inside won’t be struggling free, he opens it. The soul was sorrow, and just stood lull, staring into Aran’s calm steel blue eyes.

“Am I no longer alive?” it asked in a whisper.

“Yes…”

“Ah,” there was a timid smile teasing at her lips, eyes straying to the body it left behind, “..I am finally free.”

It took the hand Aran offers and grasp it, following his steps, and when Shinsuke turned back to the pool platform, there lays a single white chrysanthemum looking into the night, matching the moonlight.

Fa, or the Gates of Afterlife, welcomes them with an enormous intricate entrance gate made out of glistening clear crystals, overlooking a field of hyacinths and gardenias that fades into the distance. Akagi told Shinsuke that only souls can pass through it, where a train will take them to their ‘destination’, depending on their tickets, that’s based of their life deeds. It’s his first time being here, and definitely a first of many, many, many times - he wondered if Akagi and Aran has any fascination left to the Gates. He’s a little abashed because he felt so next to the other two, who gave no difference in their expressions. Aran is walking next to Hanna, with Akagi and him trailing behind meters away, giving Aran respect for his job. Shinsuke is one of very few words, but Akagi was talking to him in whispers, and it seems significant to keep their distance away from the two. “Some humans write their own deaths, like her. We Reapers won’t know _hows,_ but we know _when_. And when the time comes,” Akagi points to where Aran and the soul stopped in front of the Gatekeepers, “we show them their way. It’s kinda a boring job huh, we’re like babysitters.”

Shinsuke ponder it over, and muttered, “Not really. It’s mundane, but important nevertheless.” Like taking care of the asphodels, souls too should be taken care of and guided to their way. “What happens if they don’t go through the Gates?” Akagi did mention to chase souls they lost grip to…

“Oh, really bad things going to happen. Like the lecturing, from the Keepers here and friends up there, you’ll thank me later about Oikawa - and then they will disrupt the world order, because these souls want to live so much that they will try to possess alive ones, making it _another_ job we have to settle, and the last time a human actually escaped, Big Ol’ Man was so mad The Lady couldn’t stop trembling for 500 years. They have all their lives narrated, no wonder the Ol’ Man was so damn furious. Humans die, get picked up by us, board through those trains, go to white white pure place or red spider lilies, then when it’s time, they’ll get reincarnated, live again in another parallel. If one of those got disrupted, then everything would crumble down.” in an afterthought, he adds, “I heard the Reaper that lost a soul at Fa was immediately banished, literally _poofed_ off their existence. So it’s not clever to make mistakes here. This soul Aran taking now consider an ideal to us.” No shoving, no cursing, simply matching Aran’s footsteps. It almost seemed like the soul have been dying for this moment, a smile unfaltering as Aran traced his signature to the soul release contract and it received her ticket, a simple light blue paper tied to a snow-colored ribbon. The entrance of Fa abruptly open, beckoning the soul inside. The field swayed from the wind.

The soul gave a humble wave to Aran and begin her steps. Akagi held Shinsuke arm in a light grasp and saunter to where the Gatekeeper and Aran stood with Shinsuke in tow.

“A suicide huh,.. At least she seems calm now. Maybe afterlife is the place she belongs.” The Keeper, a lean physique of brown hair swept right adorned with a peaked cap, matching brown eyes creasing at the corners as he gave a lazy smirk. His gloom pine-colored uniform crumpled under his crossed arms, porcelain white sailor collar draw out at the top and three stripes of the same shade insulating the sleeves. His shoulders impression as laid-back, but the piercing gaze he gives off to the back of the soul says otherwise. Beside him, an equally uniformed partner towers over them, this one a serious expression, tough as an iron. He has no eyebrows, but it’s clear as the day that he is frowning. When the soul is far enough, fading to the field, the Keeper continued, “..but reincarnation’s a sure circle. God’s a bastard for that.”

“Yeah,…” Aran quietly agreed, “hopefully the next life is bearable for her.” He offers an empathetic sentiment.

The first Keeper had nothing to say back, so he simply smiled. Then, gaze landing on Shinsuke, “Who’s this?”

“He’s our new colleague, woke up a few days ago. You heard of the one Miss Death herself picked up at the Four Horsemen war? This is him,” Akagi helpfully provided. “Shinsuke, this is Futakuchi and Aone, the Gatekeepers. You will see them a lot at Fa with another couple of faces.”

“Oh, that’s him? Figured you will never wake up from your sleep.” Futakuchi sets out his hand for a handshake. “I’m Futakuchi, and my partner Aone here is a giant, but he has a soft heart so don’t let his non-existent eyebrows confuse you. How long had you been in the game? Moniwa and Koganekawa took over us for awhile, so we might have missed your face.”

Shinsuke returns the handshake. “Not at all. In fact, this is the first I stepped out of Seele…”

“No reapings at all? Seriously?”

“He didn’t received any cases yet. We took him out to see around - The Lady is on-and-off so she didn’t have full attention to him like always, of course. Not to mention her deteriorating time left. He’s been in Seele doing cleaning works and such.” said Aran.

“Ehh~ So we’re like the first to meet him since being locked up there? Bummer.” Futakuchi chuckled. “Not to down your motivation or anything, but reapings are like, the worth and prides of Reapers, so having none is… peculiar.” There was teasing in his tone, grazing softly at Shinsuke like a fork. His sentence is patronising blanketed with false sentience. Shinsuke face does not falter.

“Bro, save it. Don’t mind him Shinsuke, he’s playing with your feathers.” Akagi replied with a reassuring pat on his arm. Aran pursued his lips. Futakuchi shrugged.

“Just thinking aloud. While you’re here, how about some how-to with soul releasing? I doubt The Lady of Death taught you.” he is right, The Lady mentioned nothing of the sort to Shinsuke. “Let’s say you reaped the souls with your bare hands, and then arrive here. What will you do? First,” Futakuchi stepped in front of Aone, “we - or any of the Keepers, will hand you over this form.” He raised his left hand holding sheets of grey paper, and continued, “It has all you need to know, or already knew about your souls, terms on releasing, punishment if overdue, and the train disembarking at what time, yada yada yada. At the bottom left is where you leave your name, and voila! You’re done. Us Keepers will go through it and the Gate will open itself. Quite simple, right? The surprise lies in the ticket though, everyone receives identical tickets. They would only know where they end up when it changes colour - light blue white ribbon for Heaven, black red ribbon for Hell. Their soul contaminates it.” Futakuchi’s explanation is abrupt but detailed enough for Shinsuke to get an overall idea. Shinsuke mutter his thanks, and Futakuchi’s smirk deepen. “You sound fascinated. It’s going to be sad to see that gone soon.” He only half meant it.

“Well the challenge is bringing the soul here. Not _already_ here. It’s dull for you but apparently, we’d wish we have that leisure.” Aran said, “It’s been awhile - I have another errand to run to.”

“Same,” Akagi sighed. “Let’s go Shinsuke. We have to show you the way back to Seele. See you soon, guys.” and he literally meant very soon after. The soul Aran delivered has long faded. Futakuchi smile bloomed, and Aone gave a wave.

As Akagi and Aran walked away, there is criticize in Futakuchi’s eyes, and observant in Aone’s - wearing similar frowns.

After the trio Reapers left, Aone mumbled, “He’s different from the others. The newcomer.”

“...I realised it. You think Lady Death hiding something from our precious Reapers?” is the reply, sharing questioning gazes. “Well.. it’s her explanation for another day. She’s been sketchy since she no longer deliver souls by her own. Not ours to fret over.”


End file.
